Catalytic decomposition of low-strength hydrogen peroxide for stable, low-flow, medical-grade oxygen generation

• We evaluated hydrogen peroxide and manganese dioxide for portable low‑flow oxygen. • 3 × 3 full‑factorial study across hydrogen peroxide levels and catalyst amounts. • Stable oxygen flow of 68–134 milliliters per hour at 1.5% hydrogen peroxide. • Oxygen purity reached 95.6%, suitable for direct medical use. • The temperature rise remained under 4°C in low-concentration tests. Low-cost, portable sources of medical-grade oxygen (O₂) are urgently needed in home and field care, yet most current technologies are bulky, energy-intensive, or deliver flows far above the 3–15 mL h⁻¹ required for chronic wound therapy. This study builds upon earlier catalytic hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) decomposition studies, adding systematic measurements of O₂ purity and monitoring the decomposition continuously until completion. A 3 × 3 full-factorial experiment using three H₂O₂ concentrations (1.5, 2.87, and 6 %) and three manganese dioxide (MnO₂) masses (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 grams) was executed. Stable O₂ generation was achieved at 1.5 % H₂O₂, delivering average flow rates of 68–134 mL h⁻¹ with high O₂ purity (≥95.6 %) and minimal temperature rise (<4°C). These findings demonstrate the viability of catalytic decomposition of H₂O₂ using MnO₂ as a practical method for generating stable, low-flow, medical-grade O₂, with opportunities for further optimization in device integration.